Robbing a bank for a sex change: a review of Dog Day Afternoon

Robbing a bank for a sex change: a review of Dog Day Afternoon

Dog Day afternoon is a 1975 American crime drama directed by Sydney Lumet and based on a Life magazine article by P.F. Kluge entitled The Boys in The Bank which is based on a similar bank robbery in 1972. Dog Day is one of those films that defines the 70's style of filmmaking that reflected the social changes of the times. The 70s was a great decade for Pacino with the Godfathers 1 and 2, this film, Serpico, And Justice For All among other films. And the 70s was a decade that he collaborated with directors on multiple films, Francis Ford Coppola with the Godfather films and Sydney Lumet on Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico. With the exception of my favorite actor Marlon Brando, I can't think of an actor putting together 4 great iconic films in a single decade as Pacino did in the 70s.

Dog Day Afternoon follows the events of a bungled Brooklyn bank robbery in 1975 when a couple of unemployed losers become instant celebrities on live television. The film shows how easily one can go from being a schmuck to a god by pandering to the people's emotions. As Sonny, Pacino uses one word to go from being an armed criminal to a superstar: Attica, the 1971 prison riot that resulted in the deaths of 33 inmates. Pacino's performance is very tense in this film and his performance is not a glamorous one as the film grainy look and feel makes it seem less a film and more like it's taking place in real time. In this respect, the film's aesthetic calls to mind films like the French Connection and On The Waterfront. 

There are also a lot of close up shots of the actors' faces so there was nothing to hide the human performances of the actors from the viewers. You feel what these people feel in the context of the circumstances they find themselves thrust into. Charles Durning is excellent as the police lieutenant who negotiates with Pacino and his parter, Sal, played by the late great John Cazale who also co stars with Pacino as Fredo in the Godfather films. Other great performances in this film came from James Broderick as the FBI agent who negotiates with Sonny and also a very young Lance Henrickson who you'll remember plays the android Bishop in the 1st 2 Alien films.

This film runs a little over 2 hours but there's so much going on that you'll hardly notice the time. A great example of 70's filmmaking and of what made Pacino the star he is today.